The present invention relates to interactive toys, one toy, once activated by a user, activating another toy. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pair of toys which perform responsive actions or functions in continuous sequence. In a preferred embodiment a set of talking dolls are provided. The user activates one of the dolls to say a sentence. At the end of the sentence, the user-activated doll activates another doll to respond to the first sentence. Each doll may respond to the sentence of another doll until a conversation is complete.
Toys that are activated by a user to perform a desired function are known in the art. For example, a variety of dolls exist that perform a desired action, such as speaking or moving, when activated by a user. However, the doll typically only performs a single action (e.g., the doll says a single word or phrase, or moves in a desired manner) without saying anything more until the activation switch is pressed again. Thus, although several activation switches may be provided, each switch causing the doll to performed a desired action (e.g., say a specific word or phrase or move in a desired manner) associated with that switch, once the action is completed, the doll is idle. Only when the desired activation switch is pressed does the doll perform again. Such dolls need not be activated by a mechanically activated switch. Light-sensitive switches may be used instead of, or in addition to, a mechanical switch, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,180 to Lam et al.
The desired action need not be the enunciation of a speech pattern. Other toys are known that perform another action, such as moving or flashing lights, upon activation by the user. However, the above-described toys merely perform the single desired action or function in response to activation by a user. These toys do not then activate another device without further intervention from a user.
Despite the variety of known means for activating the toy to perform a desired action and the variety of actions that may be performed, none of the known toys causes another toy to respond with an action which may then cause the first activated toy (or yet another toy) to perform yet another, further-responsive action (again, without further intervention by a user). Until now, the device used to activate another device has comprised a signal generator alone, such as a remote control unit, that does not perform an action (such as enunciation of a speech pattern) other than transmitting a signal. Thus, in effect, the only xe2x80x9ctoyxe2x80x9d that is activated to perform a desired function is the toy controlled by the remote control device, the remote control device not performing an independent action. The toy which performs the desired action is not activated by another device that has performed a desired action. Moreover, a set of interactive toys which each perform a desired action in addition to transmitting a signal to another toy has not yet been provided with the capability of being programmed by an external, wireless control device such as a common household remote control unit which merely signals one of the toys to perform a desired action, that action then triggering a cascade of mutual activation and response.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toy that performs a desired action upon user activation, the action accompanied by a signal to another toy to perform a responsive action without further intervention by the user.
It is a related object of the present invention to provide a set of toys which interactively cause each other to perform a desired action, each action accompanied by a signal to the other toy to perform a responsive action.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a set of responsive toys that are programmable and controllable by a household remote control device which generates a control signal to activate one of the toys.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the present invention by providing a set of interactive toys. Each toy performs an action, the action of at least one of the toys being accompanied by a signal that is sent to the other toy to cause the other toy to perform a responsive action. Preferably, the other toy""s action is also accompanied by a signal that is sent to the first toy (or, yet another toy) to pause that toy to perform yet another (the same or different) responsive action. Although only a single interactive responsive action sequence may be performed by the toys, preferably, the set of toys performs one of a variety of different interactive responsive action sequences. The user may either select the action sequence to be performed, or the action may be selected randomly or in a given sequence by the control system of the toy, for example, upon activation of one of the toys. Each toy may respond with a single set response. However, most preferably, each toy may respond in one of several manners, randomly, sequentially, or user-selected, to the action of the other toy.
Because the response of the other toy should be consonant with the action of the user-activated toy, the user-activated toy typically sends a signal to the other (receiving) toy that is coded. The code is received by the receiving toy to cause the receiving toy to perform an appropriate action in response to the action previously performed by the first signal-emitting toy in the sequence. This interaction may continue until the logical conclusion of the interaction or indefinitely. For example, if the actions are the enunciation of a word or phrase, the interaction is a conversation which ends at the logical conclusion of the conversation. In a preferred embodiment, the toys are dolls and the interaction is in the form of a conversation comprising responsive speech patterns enunciated by the dolls. However, the toys may comprise animals, or a doll interacting with another object, such as a car.
Also in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the toys can be controlled by a household remote control device. Thus, the toys may be initially activated wirelessly such that a hard-wired switch on the toy is not necessary. Additionally, each toy preferably is also programmable to respond to signals of the remote control device in a desired manner. Specifically, if several interactive action sequences may be performed, then each interactive action sequence and/or each individual response may be associated with a button on the remote control device. Additionally, another button on the remote control device is preferably dedicated to remote random selection of an interactive sequence/response.